(L to R) Kathy Lavi from Casablanca, Peter Evans from Bellisimo Bar and Grill and Peter Nipperess from Hot Pipi's Mooloolaba. They are fed-up with losing thousands of dollars due to the trade they lose everytime there is a power outage. Photo: Cade Mooney/172074

Coast in 'dark ages' on power

Sunshine Coast businesses say they are being sent back to the dark ages by repeated power failures which the Opposition blames on an inadequate back-up grid.

On Sunday, a fault at the Palmwoods Powerlink substation cut power to 70,000 homes and businesses, causing thousands of dollars in lost trade.

Four days later, Member for Caloundra Mark McArdle claims power supply is still being supplied through a “shaky” back-up grid.

Mr McArdle accused the state government of mismanaging infrastructure.

“Sunday morning’s power outage has led to buck-passing between Energex and the government’s contracted supplier, Powerlink,” he said.

“Both sides are blaming each other while Coast residents now are operating on a shaky back-up supply and will continue to do so for a couple more days.”

Energy Minister Geoff Wilson argued the back-up system of two high voltage supplies from Powerlink’s Palmwoods Substation were in line with international standards and more than capable of meeting the area’s electricity demand.

“I understand many members of the community were inconvenienced during the outage and I thank them for them patience,” he said.

Peter Evans, the owner of Bellissimo of Mooloolaba, is one of dozens of business owners who are questioning who should compensate them for lost trade when the power supply fails.

Mr Evans said power cuts over the past five years had cost him thousands, and numerous attempts to claim compensation from Energex had been futile.

“They are quite happy to send you a claim form, but every time you send it back they have an excuse, like ‘oh, sorry, it wasn’t our fault, a branch has fallen on (the powerline).

“The first thing they should be doing is lopping the trees around their lines and that might give us half a chance. Someone has to be responsible.

“I pay a two or three thousand dollar deposit in case I don’t pay them, they’ve got our money and have had it for five years, yet they can’t provide support.

“We’ve lost nights before which is up to four thousand dollars and one time it cost us a computer and our til went down.”

“It’s a bit heartbreaking but we learn to live with it.”

Mr Evans said in five years, the power had failed an average of three times a year. On Sunday, they had 200 customers, and while chefs could cook with gas, he estimates the business lost around $800 from turning away 60 customers on top of the outlay of wages.

He added that his previous restaurants in NSW were rarely affected by power outages.

Next door, Pipi’s Cafe had their own problems. Owner Peter Nipperess said they were forced to turn away 50 to 60 customers.

“It was awkward. I was a lot happier that it was at 7am rather than 9.30am but it was unfortunate minor disruption.

“It was far too dangerous to have staff in the kitchen because of heat exhaustion and no lighting.”

Energex spokesman Graham Metcalf said that while he couldn’t comment on Mr Evans’ case, Energex frequently carried out tree lopping – particularly in high risk areas like Buderim.

The company had set service guarantee standards customers could follow to see if they were entitled to compensation after a power failure.

When comparing the figures, Mr Metcalf was shocked by how low the Sunshine Coast average power loss figures were for the past year given the wild weather.

On average, homes across the Coast lost power for a total of 92 minutes in 2007.

“Energex’s urban customers lost power once in 2007, while rural customers lost power between two and three times,” he said.

Last year’s biggest outages were in the big rainstorms in August, when 80,000 homes lost supply, and from Boxing Day to January 3, when 31,000 were powerless.

Last month Energex unveiled plans for a $40 million electrical project that would provide a new substation and power an indirectly boost electricity supplies to 175,000 customers.